Book Reviews

 

A PERFECT RED: 

Empire, Espionage, and the Quest for the Color of Desire by Amy Butler Greenfield

The language and symbolism of the color red, within the context of Western culture, are just two elements of this book in which Greenfield offers us a profile of cochineal red dye.

Review by Priscilla

CIRCE by Madeline Miller

Currently the Big Read Lakeshore for 2022, CIRCE, is a retelling of the Greek myth of Circe from her viewpoint.  She was a Greek goddess and witch who befriended Odysseus on his journeys, although she famously turned his crew into pigs for awhile.   She was also, like his wife Penelope, a weaver and natural dyer and there are many references to these fiber arts in this entertaining story.

Review by Priscilla

 THE FABRIC OF CIVILIZATION by Virginia Postrel
Even if you thought that you knew a lot about textiles, this well researched and very readable book will tell you how “textiles have truly changed the world” leading to innovations in almost every part of civilization - business, technology, politics, culture, science, medicine and more.  Surprising information in every chapter.  Starting with cave men figuring out how to make string to present day futuristic textiles, the author guides you through world history.  No wonder we find textiles so fascinating. 

Review by Priscilla 

The Dressmakers of Auschwitz: The True Story of the Women Who Sewed to Survive by Lucy Adlington.  Drawing on a vast array of sources, including interviews with the last surviving seamstress, this powerful book tells the story of the brave women who used their sewing skills to survive the Holocaust, exposing the greed, cruelty and hypocrisy of the Third Reich.  At the height of the Holocaust, young inmates of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp-- mainly Jewish women and girls-- were selected to design, cut, and sew beautiful fashions in a dedicated salon for elite Nazi women. Called the Upper Tailoring Studio, it was established by the camp commandant's wife and patronized by the wives of SS guards and officers. Adlington follows the fates of these women. While exposing the greed, cruelty, and hypocrisy of the Third Reich, she shows how the women of the Studio played their part in camp resistance, providing a fresh look at a little-known chapter of history.

Before Colors:  Where Pigments and Dyes Come From by Annette Bay Pimentel; Discover how color is harnessed from nature in this survey of dyes and pigments from around the world. Especially great for children to learn about nature and the world of dyes. Available through Kent District Library.

THE MAKNG OF MODERN TAPESTRY by Silvia Heyden. This iconic book introduced Heyden’s novel approach to tapestry weaving using wedge weaving (she called it feather weaving), eccentric wefts and an intuitive approach to design. I have had my copy for 20+ years and had to have it spiral bound because I read and used it so much!   Reviewd by Priscilla

PUSH STITCHERY curated by Jamie Chalmers, editor or Mr X Stitch, a British stitchery magazine. Although this book was published in 2009, it is full of profiles of a wide variety of stitchers - including many men - from the US, UK and Europe that may be new to many American stitchers.

EMBROIDERING  Reviewd by Priscilla

EMBROIDERING THE EVERYDAY by Cas Holmes. Noted and popular author Cas Holmes finds lots of inspiration for stitch in the world close to home. She discusses her own work as well as that of other artists and as in all of her books, offers multi-media techniques to try.   Reviewd by Priscilla

Books to read:  Reviewed by Jennifer Gould

  by Janet Edmonds shows how textile artists and embroiderers can build and shape three-dimensional structures and combine them with decorative surfaces. Richly illustrated, with stunning colour photographs of finished pieces, diagrams and drawings, this is the first book to cover three-dimensional textiles in detail and it comes from the leading authority on the subject. 

by Gwen Hedley - Line is an essential component of textile art. When used effectively, it can convey texture, tone, form, movement and mood. Drawn to Stitch is a practical guide to the uses of line in embroidery and textile art, presented as a structured series of exercises designed to help the reader explore line’s potential and develop their own creativity. It covers line and mark-making tools, materials and processes – including printing and mixed-media techniques – and then moves into stitch, explaining how to interpret different line qualities from crisp and sharp to soft and diffused, from raised and overlaid to recessed and inlaid. Full of inspiring ideas, the book is illustrated with stunning examples of stitched-textile work.